Cycling: Italian to return in Cup race

Roberta Bonanoni has pleasant memories of Hamilton, where she will compete next month in the women's World Cup cycle race.

The 34-year-old Italian won the 1999 race on the same circuit. It was her biggest race win for two years, and set her flagging cycling career back on track.

This time, Bonanoni will be a marked rider in the high-class field, which will feature the cream of the world's female cyclists, including world road champion Zinaida Stahurskala from Belarus and American world time trial champion Marie Holden, the Sydney Olympics silver medallist.

World Cup race organiser Stephen Cox has one regret about the line-up. New Zealand star Susy Pryde will be absent because she is committed to her professional team in the United States, where she will be riding in the Redlands Tour.

"New Zealand will still have a high profile in the race with riders like Sarah Ulmer, Rosalind Reekie-May, Vanessa Cheatley and Nora Moeke available," said Cox.

The World Cup is awarded on points over a series of races throughout the world, and last year's overall winner, Anna Millward (formerly Wilson) is in the field.

Working as a lawyer when not cycling as a professional in the US, Millward finished third in the 1999 World Cup event here.

Modern road cycling revolves around teamwork and the overseas competitors in the Hamilton race will be mostly entered as members of professional trade teams.

Cox said that under the conditions of the race, limited numbers of domestic teams were allowed from the country in which a race was held. He intended to invite a team of Waikato's best women into the field.

The 102km race will be held on March 18.

- NZPA